Articulated conductor stringing running board



Dec. 5, 1961 D. c. SHEIQZMAN 3,01

ARTICULATED CONDUCTOR STRINGING RUNNING BOARD Filed NOV. 18, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l fie L MAE CI 5HRMAN INVENTOR I BY 1 I '11 1* ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1961 D. c. SHERMAN 3,011,765

ARTICULATED CONDUCTOR STRINGING RUNNING BOARD Filed Nov. 18, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m M N F 954 M/M C. SHHPMfi/V w} INVENTOR 10 x \{Q I I I I, BY I 1 1 I W7 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,765

ARTICULATED CONDUCTOR. STRINGING RUNNING BOARD D. c. SHERMAN 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1960 INVENTOR 954 MI? f? C: 5HE/PM A/v v I I ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,011,765 ARTICULATED CONDUCTOR STRINGING RUNNING BOARD Delmar C. Sherman, 1st and Broad Sts., Chattanooga, Tenn. Filed Nov. 13, 196i), Ser. No. 70,324 Claims. (Cl. 254-1343) By way of explanation, it might be stated that in stringing multiple electrical conductors through bundle blocks with the conventional rigid running beards, considerable resistance and difficulty in mounting and moving the running board over and through the bundle blocks resulted.

The bundle blocks being hung on the end of a string of insulators, during the stringing operation, swing in various directions under the pulling strain of stringing, to the end that an attendant is stationed at each supporting point to properly direct the conventional running board through the bundle block.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an articulated running board so constructed and arranged that the tapered end of the running board will operate smoothly through the bundle blocks with the minimum amount of resistance, without the assistance of attendants, resulting in the conductors being accurately placed in the grooves of the blocks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a running board of this character wherein the running board tapers toward its forward end, and where it is provided with a swivel connection .at its apex for attachment to the pulling line, which equalizes or lends a bridle effect to the conductors being strung, to pull the conductors evenly and simultaneously.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pendulum for counteracting the tendency of the running board to rotate due to the helically wound constructions of the wire towing rope and conductors, which naturally tend to rotate to a degree, under tension.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an articulated pendulum wherein the weights thereof may be adjusted to the required degree in the field, to prevent vibrations and rotation, resulting in a smooth stringing of the conductors.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a running board, constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a side edge elevational view of the running board.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 60 is an exploded plan view of a portion of the running board.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 8 is a view in side elevation, the supporting sheave being shown as broken away and in section, illustrating the running board as being fed into the bundle block.

ill

FIGURE 9 is a view illustrating the running board as partially fed into the bundle block prior to the entrance of the conductors into the grooves of the supporting sheave of the bundling block.

FIGURE 10 is a side elevational view illustrating the running board as having passed through a bundling block.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of FIGURE 9 illustrating the construction of the supporting sheave of the bundling block, the running board having been removed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the running board forming the subject matter of the present invention, includes a body portion comprised of a plurality of pivotally connected open frame sections, indicated generally by the reference character 5, each section including side bars 6 that are connected with front and rear bars 7 and 8 respectively, which bars 7 and 3 have their ends welded or otherwise secured to the side bars 6. The bars 7 and 8 are of angle bar construction, and as shown more particularly by FIGURE 4 of the drawings, have their open sides confronting the open sides of the angle bars of the adjacent pivotally connected sections.

Each section also includes forwardly extended bars 9 and rearwardly extended bars 10, the bars 9 and 1 3 having one of their respective ends welded to the bars 7 or 8 with which it is associated, as better shown by FIG- URE 6 of the drawings, the opposite ends of the bars 9 and 10 overlapping the bars 9 and 10 with which they are associated, of the adjacent section. The overlapping ends of the arms 9 and 10 of the respective sections, are formed with aligning openings for the reception of the pivot pins 11, the openings of the bars 9 and 10 being arranged so that the free ends of the bars 9 and 10 will contact the lower flange 12 of the section with which it is connected. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction the sections may pivot in one direction with respect to each other, namely downwardly but are restricted in upward movement beyond horizontal by contact with the flange 12.

It will also be seen that due to this construction the running board provides a rigid construction against upward pivotal movement, to insure the proper feeding of the running board through the bundle block with which it is used.

As better shown by FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the side bars 6 are inclined forwardly, so that the running board tapers towards the lead end thereof, the lead section of the running board being provided with inclined side members 13 to which one end of swivels 14 is pivotally connected, at #15, the swivel providing the connection between the tow or line 14 used in drawing the running board and conductors into place.

The running board also includes a pendulum section which is constructed of end bars 16 and front and rear bars 17, to which the end bars 16 are connected, by welding.

These sections of which the pendulum is formed, are similar to the sections forming the body of the running board, and as shown one end of the pendulum is pivotally connected to the main section by means of the pivot pin 19 which extends through aligning openings in pairs of bars 20 extending rearwardly from the bar 12. at the rear end of the running board sections, as shown by FIGURE Q. of the drawings.

Each pendulum section embodies spaced angle bars 17 Welded to end bar 16 at their ends, the the adjacent angle bars 17 of each section having their open sides confronting providing horizontal flanges 22.

Bars 31 extend laterally from the bars 17 and have one of their respective ends welded to a bar 17, the olfset or free ends of said bars 21 being arranged in overlapped relation with laterally extended bars 2-1 of the adjacent bar 17 Where the contacting bars 21 are pivotally connected by pivot pins 22', so that the pendulum will swing downwardly, but will be prevented from upward swinging beyond horizontal, by contact with the flanges 22 of the face 21 of front and rear bars 17.

The outer end section of the pendulum, embodies inclined sidebars 23 which are connected by a bar 24, the bar 24 having openings to receive the bolts 25 which bolts also extend through the weights 26, the bolts 25 being provided with nuts 27 so that the weights may be removed or replaced at will, to vary the operation of the pendulum, according to its specific use.

As better shown by FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, the swivels 28 are connected with the rearwardly extended ends 29 of the side bars 6 of the innermost section of the running board, and permit slight rotation of the conductors, which in the present showing are in dicated by the reference character A, during the stringing of the conductors.

The bundle block which is of conventional structure,

includes a frame indicated generally by the reference character 29", the frame embodying side members between which the grooved sheave 30 is pivotally mounted, the main surface of the sheave being inclined from the side edges, inwardly, as better shown by FIGURE 11, with the groove 3-1 adjacent to the edges for the reception of conductors A, which are fed into the grooves by the running board. It might be here stated that because of the construction of the sheave, it has been noted that the conductors will be accurately fed to the grooves 30 of the sheave even if the running board should contact the sheave laterally of its center or vertical axis.

From the foregoing it will :be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided a running board which is so constructed and arranged that the running board will operate smoothly through the bundle block through which the conductors are pulled, and the running board will automatically center itself, should it feed into the bundle block at an angle or out of direct alignment with the line in' stringing the conductors.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is:

1. In a running board for stringing electrical conductors through a bundle block, having a sheave formed with conductor grooves, a body portion comprising a plurality of sections connected for vertical pivotal movement with respect to each other fiange means carried by each section limiting the pivotal movement to one direction only, said body portion being tapered towards its forward end for, guiding the running board through a bundle block depositing conductors connected thereto in said grooves, swivel means for connecting conductors to said running board, and a sectional pendulum'pivotally connected to the wide end of said body for stabilizing the running board during stringing of said conductors.

2. In a running board for stringing electrical conductors through a bundle block having a sheave formed with conductor grooves, a body comprising a plurality of pivotally connected sections, means limiting the pivotal movement to one direction only, said body being tapered toward its forward end and having connections for a pull line and conductors being strung, a pendulum embodying a plurality of pivotally connected sections connected to said body portion in alignment with the points of connection between said body portion and conductors being strung, and removable weights forming a part of said pendulum.

3. In a running board for stringing electrical conductors through a bundle block having a sheave formed with conductor grooves, a tapered body portion comprising a plurality of sections pivot-ally connected for down wardly swinging movement, flange means restricting upwardly swinging movement of said sections with respect to each other, a flexible pendulum connected at one of its ends to the wide end of said tapered body portion, and an adjustable weight mechanism mounted on the other end of the pendulum.

4. A running board for stringing electrical conductors through a bundle block having a sheave formed with conductor grooves adjacent to the ends thereof, an elongated body tapered towards its ends, said body being comprised of pivotally connected sections, means limiting the pivotal movement to one direction only, swivels con- 7 nected to said body to which conductors being strung are connected, and a pendulum forming a part of said elongated body and connected to the Wide portion thereof adapted to swing vertically between conductors being strung, stabilizing said body as the body is drawn through a bundle block. 7

5 A running board for stringing electrical conductors, comprising a body constructed of pivotally connected sections, each section embodying front and rear angle bars, side bars connecting-said front and rear angle bars, forwardly andrearwardly extended ba-rs extending from said front and rear angle bars respectively of each section, the front bars of one section overlapping the rearwardly extended bars of the adjacent sections, means for pivotally connecting the overlapping ends of said front and'rearwardly extended bars, a sectional pendulum pivotally connected with the wide end of said body, and swivel means for connecting conductors to said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,663,748 Carr et al Dec. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,080,382 France May 26, 1954 

